Zambezi chiefs condemn secessionists

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Aron Mushaukwa
KATIMA MULILO - Traditional authorities in Zambezi strongly condemned the actions of the pro-secessionist Caprivi Concerned Group (CCG) and separatist mastermind Mishake Muyongo who is currently exiled in Denmark after he evaded arrest following the secessionist uprising in 1999.
CCG whose members were arrested over the weekend have in recent years been advocating for the government to have a dialogue with them and discuss what they refer to as the ‘freedom of Caprivi.’
The group comprising of political malcontents has been at loggerheads with the regional police in the Zambezi Region, who have been pleading with them to refrain from holding subversive nocturnal meetings aimed at discussing and promoting secessionism through violent means, but to no avail.
They are complaining that government has been ignoring their request to have political dialogue with the banned UDP and its aging leader Muyongo who fled to Botswana and eventually Denmark.
The police ran out of patience with the group and arrested six leaders of the group on Sunday, when they attempted to hold a public meeting at Liselo, some 10 kilometres outside Katima Mulilo, where it is believed the agenda of the meeting was to organise and mobilise those who allegedly still harbour ideas to possibly use violence to secede Zambezi Region from the rest of the country.
The six secessionist suspects who on Tuesday appeared in court are: Edwin Samati, Chrispin Kakula, Event Linyando, Aldrin Mahulilo, Braster Kakula and Thomas Mulonga were all charged with sedition, refusing to obey lawful orders not to gather, and incitement of public violence. They were all denied bail when they made a brief appearance in the Katima Mulilo Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
“The Khuta is not in support of what our children are doing, people should not think the Khuta of Chief Mamili is in support… There was never a day where we sat as indunas with our chiefs to discuss issues of secessionism,” said a Senior Induna from the Mafwe Traditional Authority, Elias Mueze who in accordance with traditional protocol spoke on behalf of Mafwe Chief George Simasiku Mamili whose traditional seat has been at Chincimani since he took over from his cousin Bebi Mamili who abdicated the chieftainship the moment he fled the country with his cousin Muyongo
He added the khuta of the reining Mamili is very disappointed that people who are advocating for secessionism are from the Mafwe Traditional Authority. “We plead with our children not to involve themselves in shameful behaviours.
We have a lot of tribes in Zambezi, but what the children of Mamili are doing is unacceptable, therefore we are pleading with the rest of our subjects not to follow what those people (Muyongo’s followers) are doing,” pleaded Induna Mueze.
Similar sentiments were shared by senior Induna Rector Salyonga from the Mayeyi Traditional Authority who spoke on behalf of Chief Boniface Shufu headquartered at Sangwali who called on young people of Zambezi Region to concentrate on education as the only key to a brighter future.
“We felt very bad when we learnt that these things are still continuing, and that our children lack understanding. We should appreciate what the government has done, in colonial times, no support was given to the poor people, but now the government is trying its level best to uplift the poor – we even have free education, such things were never there,” said the senior Induna of the Mayeyi.
He added, “when we hear someone saying government has done nothing we feel sorry. Young people should refrain from such shameful things and concentrate on education, because education is the only parent who can uplift you even when you are an orphan.”
Speaking on behalf of the Masubia Chief Kisco Liswani VII the Ngambela of the Masubia Traditional Authority at Bukalo, Albius Kamwi reiterated the Masubia stands its ground and it will never support the idea to secede Zambezi from the rest of the country. “Zambezi and Namibia are one and the Khuta has always been open on the subject, we just advice people who are involved in such ideas to refrain from such things. That is why we see that development is slow in our region. If we have people who are destabilising peace, investors will not come to uplift our region,” stressed Kamwi.
Observers from the Zambezi are saying the few individuals supporting secession do not have mass support and merely tarnish the image of the region that has produced such gallant sons and daughters of the liberation struggle such as the late Greenwell Matongo, Lieutenant-General John Mutwa the current Chief of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) Victor Simunja a former Deputy Minister of Defence, Doreen Sioka the Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, and the earliest PLAN fighters from Singalamwe such as Josias Maswabi “Ngundwani” Likukela and Phineas Limota Masule among many others too numerous to mention whose roles were pivotal. New Era Reporter 2018-07-12 09:07:35 7 months ago